I received a fair amount of criticism after my post following the death of Maummar Gadhafi objecting to the apparent execution of the deposed leader and the abuse of his body. One rebel has now come forward to take credit in executing the unarmed dictator and there is now a report that a Libyan rebel may have sodomized the dictator as part of the abuse after his capture.
What is clear is that, even if this report proves true, it will not matter and will likely receive little media attention. There is a clear aversion to appearing sympathetic to a tyrant. The result is this disconnect between the images on the screen and the cheerful coverage of the anchors.
I was surprised by the response by some of my friends, who dismissed concerns about how the man was killed or abuses given his past history of abuse. It is a form of moral relativism that forgives any form of abuse. What concerned me most (and still does) is the almost complete failure of the media to even acknowledge the abuse of Gadhafi while repeatedly airing the footage and joining the “celebration” of his death. The lack of journalistic integrity and independence was chilling. It was only after Human Rights Watch and other groups called for an investigation that the media generally felt comfortable in raising the issue as a news item.
Instead of acknowledging the shocking savagery displayed on the film, CNN turned to the more pressing question of how Gaddafi’s death might translate into a positive factor in the President’s reelection. Abusing and possibly raping a tyrant does not seem much of a cause for celebration, but it does deserve scrutiny from the media (including the obvious violation of international law). It offers little hope for era of dignity heralded by President Obama — anymore than the announcement today that the new Libya will be based on mandatory compliance with Sharia law.
Source: CBS
I personally think it was sickening that any human could of done that to that man,these rebels are clearly muslim savages,and we will regret supporting these people in years to come when islam starts to unite against the west.those rebels are full of terrorists,muslim extremists and what ever else.my country great britian seriously needs to wake up to this nut cases..have you read the koran??? you should,it’s alarming!!!
Well, Jonathan, if there were more journalists like you, then maybe we would have an independent and objective journalistic coverage of what was going on there…For the last few days, all I can hear and read in the news is that the Lybian rebels (viewed as heroes, no less, by Western mass media) have killed Gaddafi who definitely represented an ultimate evil to the whole mankind and deserved being raped, torchered and killed, instead of being brought to trial and judged by the law.
God… You know what… There are some things I just can’t figure out in all this. How come most of the journalists and general public from the US & EU speak and think like Gaddafi himself? Aren’t they supposed to be better and more civilized than the African tyrant? Aren’t they supposed to advocate the ideas of humanity and the rule of law? Because if they don’t, if they cheer for a scene of a man being captured and sodomized in the ass by a battle knife, then… all of these journalists are no better than Saddam & Gaddafi themselves. I mean, how is this even possible??? It just doesn’t click in my mind… How can a bunch of freaking savages, raping the man who yesterday was their leader, build democracy in their country??? These freaks, yelling “Allah Akbar!!!” and arguing between themselves, who assaulted Gaddafi first… Am I supposed to believe that this mob is EVEN ABLE TO BUILD DEMOCRACY ANYWHERE?
Well, I suppose all of these questions are rhetorical…
Evidently those who murdered Gadhafi will face charges in Libya based on prisoner of war issues.
We have to remember that whatever judicial institutions Libya had under Mr. Gaddfi went up in flames when the revolution started. They presently do not have any “institutions,” no “Rule of Law” like we do, etc. The NTC forces are just a bunch of folks like you and me and NOT professional soldiers, who theoretically should be more disciplined. Yet, as we have seen in isolated incidents in Iraq and Afghanistan, even disciplined U.S. troops sometimes go “off the reservation.” All in all, the NTC forces appear to be doing fine.
This issue stood out for me as well. When we cheer and celebrate death, and the media sets the tone of festivities at the same time horrific images are broadcast of a man pulled from hiding in a hole and abused and murdered, absent any modicum of due process.
I would like to know: What is the point of showing Gadhafi’s mistreatment in “glorious” full-color photos, throughout the media and internet and even on this very blog?
Does it add anything significant to the reporting to display a human being brutalized?
Or, is it just a violent form of pornography, intended to inspire a combination of titillation mixed with revenge?
The desensitization that is encompassing our culture, when such photos pass without comment as legitimate “news” reporting, is indicative of nothing so much as a gross cultural pathology, which is also reflected in the number of people who posit that Gadhafi got “what he deserved.”
People who substitute retribution for justice are not civilized, in any sense of the word.
Distribution of such photos only encourages our descent into the abyss, and are pure poison that serve only to further our desensitization. I would ask that such photos at least be placed “below the fold” with an appropriate warning.